then will set up perhaps a dozen Apothecaries in a way of livelihood; and besides, great sums of money before he can put himself in a fitting Equipage:  whereas on the contrary, many young men before their time of Apprenticeship is out, provide well for themselves by Quacking; and certainly the Study of Physic, and consequently the knowledge of Nature, must bid farewel to the Universities, if Shops be permitted to make practisers, for such the people will soon create Doctors, which title the Apothecary takes upon him, though he understand not the reason of the name, to the great shame of the Universities, and Faculty, when ignorant people shall give, and they challenge the same title for nothing, attained by the Physician at a great rate and long study, the vulgar taking Practiser and Doctor to signifie the same thing.  And which no persons of knowledg and education do, and perhaps most other persons give them in way of Jeering.

From the handsom support of Physicians these benefits will accrue to the publick, that thereby the honour all Nations yield to the English Physicians will be kept up, who in the late times, when the reputation of the Nation was well neer forfeited abroad, the Physicians then in being, most whereof are now living, and Members of the College, maintained the credit, for learning and value, of this Kingdom, and since his Majesties happy return, some of them have kept up the honour of the Faculty; which manifestly appears by the great esteem Foreigners have of their Books, by often printing them, and translating into Latin what hath been published in English, though they are no where so depressed as in England.

A second benefit to the publick is, that men of competent Estates will breed up their Sons in the Art of Physic, giving them such education as is necessary, and will not vouchsafe to place them out to Apothecaries, though now adays want of learning and degrees are adjudged as needful a qualification for the exercise of Physic, as formerly ’twas for Preaching, and the Shops fit to supply both.

I will conclude this part of my discourse with this observation; that the Laws of England in all their Acts of Parliament, have granted the practice of Physic to Physicians and them alone, and in no clause thereof put in any restraint at all upon them, but every where, either new priviledges, or a confirmation of the old, have been granted, by the said powers.  Whereas on the contrary, the Law supposeth cheats in the Apothecaries Shops, and therefore impowers our Censors to destroy and burn what they find bad and corrupt.

The next thing to be treated of, shall be the ways of Apothecaries creeping into practice, and their unfitness thereunto.  As to the first, heretofore when they were Members of the Company of Grocers, and dispersed in place, as well as in counsel, they then were wholy subordinate to the Physicians, only keeping in their Shops, and faithfully making the prescriptions they received from the Physicians, and